Scarlet Secrets
by BigBadWolfTardis
Summary: Swept away in the Dark Curse, Tom Thumb has lost everything he loves. With new memories and no magic; the question now is; will Tom ever see his family, his friends, and most importantly of all, his beloved Hatter ever again? Or is Spencer Scarlet the only echo left of him now?
1. The Spider's Web

**Hello! Yes, I know, another story : ) I REALLY should finish some of my others first, but I really want to get this one going : ) So, Once Upon a Time, a new love of mine, so naturally an OC story was due. This story is slash like a majority of my stories, and it's between my OC and Jefferson, AKA, the Mad Hatter. I loved Jefferson and wished he was in it more, but I can change that now : )**

**I hope people give this a try. I'm confident that I can make the Enchanted Forest chapters exciting, but I'm a little worried about the Storybrooke ones. I've got ideas, but we'll have to see if they pan out. I'm not sure if this'll just be season 1, or all of them. We'll have to see.**

**Anyway, welcome to the story, and I really hope you enjoy it. Please remember that Once Upon a Time isn't mine, but this adaptation of Tom Thumb and his counterpart, Spencer Scarlet are : )**

**...**

**Scarlet Secrets**

**...**

**The Spider's Web**

**...**

Once Upon a Time… there lived a man, and he was so tiny, he was no bigger than your thumb. And for years the man lived happily, until one day, an evil queen banished him and everyone else in the Enchanted Forest to a new land.

In this new land, time stood still and everyone forgot who they really were. With a new life in his head, the little man's happiness was stolen from him. Everything he loved was ripped away.

The Evil Queen had claimed victory over him. She had claimed victory over everyone.

This is the story of how it happened.

This is the story of how Tom Thumb took his happy ending back.

…

With great trepidation, a man stared up at a castle that stood at the peak of the tallest cliff face. His expression was grim, his eyes hard. This man was clearly on a mission.

He let out a low sigh, his breath turning to mist in the chilly night air. Rain lashed at him, and thunder rumbled overhead as the castle's stones were illuminated for a moment as lightning forked across the night sky.

Not for the first time since arriving at the pebble beach at the bottom of the cliffs, the man wondered if his plan was such a good idea. It felt more like a suicide mission than a planned burglary.

He knew perfectly well that the owner of the castle would not be happy to see him, not after their last encounter, and this felt very much like poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.

It wasn't just stupid. It was _insanity_.

But then he remembered the promise he had made to a little girl he cared about, along with the heartache he had felt every moment of each day. The loneliness. His only chance to see his beloved again might lie inside that castle.

He couldn't turn back now.

From the belt of his regal red robes, the man produced a highly polished wand. It was scarlet in colour, with an ornate golden handle shaped like a star. The man waved the wand with skill, focusing his magic through it.

The effects were instantaneous.

The pebbles on the beach all began rolling slowly, all headed in the same direction. They began piling on top of each other, slotting together perfectly until a fully stable and pristine stone staircase stood before him, adjoined to the cliff face for support.

The man smiled. That dealt with the issue of how to get up to the castle. He didn't want to reveal his wings unless he had too. He began running up the steps as fast as he could, slipping his wand back into its hoister. There wasn't a moment to waste.

The rain was getting heavier now, plastering his muddy brown hair to his pale skin. He wasn't put off though.

In fact, all the bad weather was doing was motivating him to get inside quicker. The sooner he got in, the sooner he could steal what may prove to be his only salvation.

He just hoped it would be that easy.

If anything when wrong… well, he didn't fancy his chances of survival very much. His opponent was not to be taken lightly after all.

The man made it to the top of his makeshift staircase, and he didn't stop sprinting until he was nearing the castle. He frowned as his olive green eyes raked over the ancient structure.

The entire castle was coated in thick thorns, reaching up the entire outer wall and some were even growing over some of the towers. The man inched closer to one of the thorns and sniffed it, his heightened senses at work.

'Poison' he muttered to himself, almost amused.

He wasn't surprised that his nemesis would try something like poisonous thorns against invaders. Poisonous thorns meant nothing to him however. They were simple to get around.

Drawing out his wand again, he ignited the tip of it with a small flame. He twirled the wand through the air, and with a soft hissing and a strong scent of smoke, he blasted a huge fireball into the tangle of thorns.

He watched as the deadly plant caught fire and fell away, swivelling up and dying before it hit the ground. Smirking, the man put out the flame on his wand and continued to the iron gates of the outer wall. They were firmly bolted shut.

He scowled as he sensed powerful magic embedded in the gate. A Protection Spell; powerful, but not unbreakable. His wand wouldn't be strong enough this time, so instead the man reached for his belt.

He pulled a small pouch from his belt and untied the string binding it. Inside was a small pile of glittering dust, fairy dust. It sparkled like tiny rubies under the moonlight.

The man didn't hesitate. He pinched up some of the dust and threw it at the gates.

They clanged open immediately, the Protection Spell shattered. His nemesis had never been very good at protective magic after all.

Crossing the border of the castle, the man shivered as he felt a curtain of darkness fall over him. He instantly realised that the castle had magical wards cloaking it, and after a moment of recollection over all magical wards, he determined by feel that these ones were to keep a person inside the parameters.

'Oh great' he grumbled sarcastically.

This added difficulty to his mission. It meant that in order to escape the castle, he had to cross back through the gates. He couldn't use his magic to escape whilst inside.

Sighing, the man looked around and found himself in an abandoned courtyard. His eyes scanned it suspiciously. He had expected there to be guards, archers… _someone_ to defend the woman that lived in the castle.

There was no one. It was silent, save for the lessening rain hitting the cobblestones.

The man sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. It appeared as though he may be expected. Or incredibly lucky. One of those two.

He crossed the courtyard as stealthily as he could, making it to the stone steps leading to the great oak doors without trouble. He waved his wand, and the doors creaked open. He cautiously entered the dark castle.

The entrance hall was pitch-black, so the man used his wand to light a torch hanging on the wall. It cast eerie shadows up the cold drafty corridor, making the man shiver nervously. All he wanted to do was to get out whilst he still could.

Still, he forced himself to continue further into the castle. There could be no turning back now. Not when he was so close.

At the end of the corridor, the man found himself with two choices of where to go next. A door leading to the left and one leading to the right.

He paused, trying to remember the layout. He'd only been in this place once before, and that was before his opponent had got her hands on it. And who knew what she had done to the place since then.

Eventually he decided to try his luck and go left.

He prayed he wasn't making an error of judgement. He shivered again as he felt the temperature drop slightly. It was getting colder the further in he went. He hoped against hope it was coincidental and not a sign he had been detected.

The inside of the castle was a maze, and the man needed to be quick, so once again he decided it was time to use some magic. The last thing he needed was to get lost. He placed his wand on the palm of his hand.

'Point me' he whispered.

The wand spun in his hand like a compass needle, and the man watched as it pointed to the right of him. He knew that the place where the prize of his mission lay must be in that direction.

The only problem was, a solid brick wall was all that was to the right of him. No door, no tunnel, nothing but bricks. Well, that wouldn't be a problem for long, the man supposed.

He swiped his wand sharply, and watched as the bricks began shifting and changing in shape, until after only a few moments, an archway formed where the wall had ran through, leaving his way ahead clear.

Crossing through the arch, the man found himself in yet another corridor. He ran as quietly as he could up it. He hadn't run into any traps yet, and he was hoping his luck would hold out.

If he could get out with the artefact he needed, he might just be able to reclaim his happy ending after all.

He reached the other end of the corridor, and found a door right at the end, the only way to proceed. Stealing himself to any potential threat that lay in wait for him, the man slowly and carefully grasped the door handle.

He threw the door open dramatically, to surprise anyone that may be in there, but he efforts were wasted. The room was empty, of people that was.

The room itself was very beautiful, the man vaguely thought as his eyes scanned it. From the high domed ceiling to the rainbow stained glass windows, to the rustic red curtains and carpet that decorated the room.

Even the demon like statues there were scattered about had a sort of beauty to them, but the man shrugged the thought away. He couldn't afford to get distracted now.

The circular room was lined with tables and cabinets, and all of them were buckling under the weight of dozens of strange artefacts and bizarre instruments.

The man frowned at something that looked like an axe but was billowing out puffs of smoke from the blade. He didn't even want to know what _that_ thing did.

He just prayed that the rumours were true, and that the things he needed had been taken here, otherwise this would all have been for nothing, and he'd have a distraught little girl waiting for him back home.

Not to mention that all his own hopes and desires would be shattered, _again_.

He began searching through the artefacts, scouring for a glint of red amidst the gold and silver. After a full ten minutes of searching however, the man was beginning to lose hope.

He had searched every table and all but one of the cabinets and it had yielded no results. But regardless, he opened the last cabinet with his wand, and peered inside.

He gasped loudly, his eyes widening to almost comical proportions.

There they were! They were right there in front of him, like his every dream had been made manifest.

The rumours were true, she really had found them. The man had no idea how, but she'd found them. And now they were all his. And who said crime didn't pay?

With eager and greedy hands, the man snatched up the twin objects and he stared at them with awed amazement. It was astonishing that such things existed, and now he could finally rescue his true love, _and_ reunit his family.

A brilliant grin lit up the man's handsome face as he stowed the objects away safely inside his robes. Giddy with delight and excitement, the man turned to leave… only for the door to slam shut with a loud bang.

'Good evening Red' a calm sultry voice said, making the man jump.

With a swish of his red robes, the man turned and his eyes widened in fear. His stomach dropped to his shoes and his heart leapt up into his throat.

The mistress of the dark castle was stood in the centre of the room, draped in an elegant black dress, an evil smile that revealed all her white teeth on her face. Her blonde hair was tied up behind her head.

When the man continued to just stare at her, horrified, she pouted indignantly.

'What, you aren't going to say hello? How rude of you. Especially considering it's been… _so long_ since we've seen each other' she almost purred. The man stiffened nervously.

'How are you?' he asked coolly, trying to draw this out so he could weigh up his options. They weren't very promising.

He knew that this situation was almost hopeless, that she'd never just let him leave. And even if he did escape with his life she'd come after him, but if he could just get away for long enough…

'I am very good, thank you. Well, I'm as good as a person can be when they find an intruder in their home stealing from them' she smiled darkly at him. The man's hands inched towards his wand discreetly.

'I highly doubt you're surprised by this' the man said, feinting calmness, 'You disabled your traps, stood down your soldiers, this was all too easy'

'And yet, you still came in, despite knowing all this' the woman smirked triumphantly, before frowning, 'The question is why'.

'Because I needed something important and unique' the man shrugged evasively.

'What, so badly that you'd steal from an old friend?' she laughed, a shrill noise to the man's ears.

'You are _not_ my friend. Any friendship we shared was destroyed long ago, by _your_ cruelty' the man spat, and for the first time, the woman looked annoyed.

'_My_ cruelty?! What about you? If I recall correctly, it was _you_ that humiliated _me_ Red' she snapped.

The man glowered at her. That was ancient history, and it _wasn't_ his fault. How _dare_ she try and use _that_ as an excuse.

'It's not my fault you couldn't accept no as an answer' the man shrugged carelessly at her. The woman scoffed loudly.

'So to rub salt into the wound, you decided to find true love, not only with someone else but with someone of an entirely different gender to me' she said scathingly.

'Is that what this is about? You tracked down the one thing I'd need most of all just to keep it from me? Just to keep me from my true love?' he asked and the woman smiled darkly and nodded.

'Exactly. With him out of the way, I'm free to show you exactly why you should have picked me' she grinned insanely at him.

'Black… I will _never_ pick you. I will _never_ love you. And despite what you may think of your own abilities, they will never be enough to tear me from my true love. We will tear apart whole worlds just to be with each other, and you… you're _nothing_ to us. A speck of dust' the man glared. At his words, the woman hissed and held out her hand, a large ornate staff materialising in it.

'Do not call me _Black_. _Black_ died the moment you and those bitches banished me here. You know who I am now, the name I use that strikes fear into all' she hissed, positively fuming now.

The man drew his wand quickly and held it up high. He wasn't sure how long he'd last in a duel with her, but with so much riding on the outcome, he was sure as hell going to try his best.

'I cannot allow you to stop me' he said, forcing the nervousness out of his voice. At his words, the woman threw back her head and laughed loudly, tauntingly.

'My dearest Red, we _both_ know you cannot claim victory over me. My powers are too great now. And once I've defeated you in battle, I shall enchant your mind and bend your will to my own. You _will_ love me, and _only_ me. Together, we shall rule over the entire land… and produce an heir more powerful than any before us' she ranted on, whilst the man just stared her down, sadness in his eyes.

No matter what happened, he would never allow things to come to _that_.

'Never' he shook his head. The woman smirked at him but didn't say anything. The man tightened his grip on his wand. Her silence was almost a signal to him. Any moment now…

The woman moved faster than the man believed physically possible.

The swarm of living snarling bats that hurtled towards him took him by surprise, by the swiftness of his own shield charm saved the man from their poison fangs.

Swiping his wand through the air, the man expelled the swarm into nothing but powdered dust, before he was forced to leapt to the side as the woman shot a deadly purple spell at him.

He countered by brandishing his wand at a torch on the wall. It flew towards the woman, the fire becoming a ring of flames that soared through the air like a lasso.

Before it could scorch her though, the woman stamped her staff against the floor, and the fire transformed into a dirty great serpent that coiled back towards the man, every fang in its mouth exposed.

He reacted by blasting the beast into smoke, before it became a gale force wind that slammed the woman into the far wall with a jarring force, eliciting a cry of pain from her. The man held up his wand, keeping up the wind that was pinning the woman to the wall, edging towards the door at the same time.

'No… you won't… escape me… a second time' the woman grunted from the pressure pinning her back, before she managed to raise her staff, using it to blast the man backward, smashing through the wooden door.

The man groaned as he landed flat on his backside in the corridor, before he leapt to his feet, backing away as the woman strode purposefully towards him. He raised his wand, but she just slammed her staff down, blasting him backwards of his feet again.

He looked up at her fearfully when the woman laughed, her eyes glinting with malice and lust.

'Give it up my love. We both know you're never leaving this castle again' she taunted as the man scuttled to his feet. She went to slam her staff down again, but this time the man was faster.

He pointed his wand at the ceiling over her head, and the woman gasped as the ceiling was blasted apart, rubble raining down over her head. She quickly used her staff to form a bubble around herself, glaring at the man as the rubble stopped falling.

'You know, this obsession you have with me is really unhealthy, I'd recommend a pet' he jeered.

'Why would I need a pet? I have _you_ for that role' she smirked darkly, and the man gasped as he suddenly felt as though a hand was dragging him backwards.

His back hit the wall and stone cuffs formed around his wrists and ankles, binding him there. He struggled, but to no avail. He still had his wand in hand though.

His eyes widened as the woman gracefully walked over to him, almost seductively. She stopped directly in front of him, placing a hand tenderly on his cheek. The man tried to turn his head, but she merely laughed at him.

'Be coy all you want my love, but we both know how this ends' she told him. The man began struggling again as the woman placed her other hand on his chest, her fingers sliding down his torso to the belt around his waist.

He felt her fingers begin to slide under his robes, down his trousers towards his crotch… and with his twitch of his wrist he sent her flying down the corridor with a shriek of surprise.

She crashed through a door at the other end of the corridor, and vanished out of sight. Moments later the man had freed himself using his wand, and he was brushing himself.

'Crazy bitch' he shook his head, disgusted by what had almost happened, what she had tried to do.

He startled as he heard a screech of rage, a war cry almost, before his eyes widened in horror at what came crashing into the corridor. It wasn't the woman, but a _monster_. His mouth dropped open in a silent scream.

This was too much, even for _her_ insanity.

The woman always had excelled at transformation magic, especially when it was herself transforming. She had an unusual talent for it, but the man would _never_ have expected her to transform into _this_.

The creature that the woman had transformed into was like that of a spider, but she was unlike any spider that the man had ever seen before. The form she had taken on was… _terrifying_.

She had become the size of a bull elephant, her bulging black eyes, all eight of them, glinting horribly. Her hair was black and shaggy, her eight legs scuttling as she moved.

She was gigantic, enough to fill the entire corridor. Enough to _block_ the corridor.

'Shit' the man gasped, backing away as the massive spider snapped its bulky pincers whilst edging towards him. He slashed his wand through the air, causing the entire castle to shake as the corridor cracked clean in two, a huge canyon splitting open in the floor, leaving them on different sides.

For a moment, the man thought he was safe, but his face fell when he heard the spider let out a sickly laugh.

'Do you really think it will be that easy, my love. Clearly it wasn't your intelligence I fell in love with' she simpered, her voice very much out of place coming from such a hideous beast.

The man didn't reply. He simply watched in terror as the spider approached the edge of the crevasse, before she began spitting out gooey silvery thread. He grimaced, disgusted, but he pushed his nausea aside as he worked out what she was doing.

She was building herself a bridge, a bridge over to his side!

'Crap!' he cried, turning and breaking into a run.

He heard the spider clicking angrily behind him as he hustled into a new corridor, the chirping of the insectoid monster growing fainter for a moment… before suddenly he heard a loud thud, presumably the spider swinging over to his side.

The man waved his wand over his shoulder, and a wall of fire exploded into existence, blocking the corridor with deadly flames and smoke. He coughed as he continued running. If he could just make it outside, he _might_ stand a chance.

He yelped when he was almost thrown off his feet however, and glancing over his shoulder, he saw the gigantic spider leap gracefully over the flames, just over the extent of their reach, landed easily not a few metres behind him.

The man let out a groan. That woman was a complete and utter psychopath.

He waved his wand again, and this time the ceiling and walls exploded in on them, filling the corridor with huge chucks of rubble, causing an entire cave in. He slowed slightly, panting for air, before taking off again.

He whimpered in fear as he heard the beast smashing through his barricade. Wouldn't anything slow this bitch down?! But he couldn't stop running. He had to get out. He had too much to live for; he couldn't die yet, not until he was safe in his beloved's arms again.

The man skidded into the entrance hall, before swiping his wand through the air once more, and this time a tangle of vines burst out of the ground and walls, forming a knotted plant-y wall behind him.

He rushed over to the doors, just a second too late as they slammed shut in his face, locked by magic no doubt.

'Oh come on' he cried frantically, struggling with the doors but to no avail.

He sighed, and raised his wand again, ready to blast them off their hinges. He winced as he heard the sounds of the beast's pincers slicing through his vine wall.

He knew he had little time to waste. He quickly raised his wand again.

With a monumental force, the doors crashed open so hard that the wood actually splintered, and the man didn't waste a second before he was off scrambling down the steps.

He was outside, and sprinting across the courtyard for all he was worth. If he could just make it to the gates he'd be outside the wards, and he could use his magic to transport himself to a safe location.

The man screamed as he suddenly tripped over something, and with a painful thud he smacked the ground. He tried to get up, but he leg was stuck in something. He gasped as he realised it was some of the spider's thread. She must have thrown it at him from behind. The bitch.

The same spider that was laughing and scuttling towards him.

The man tried to lift his wand, but the spider merely shot more thread at him, pinning his arm back. The man trembled with terror as the gigantic beast drew closer, until she was casting him in her shadow, looming over him.

'Red, would you just give it up… I rather think this takes being frightened of a girl to a whole new level' she cackled and the man's face darkened slightly.

'I'm _not_ frightened of you' he said, but his voice sounded weak. She laughed again, a menacing sound. She leaned in closer, until she was practically hanging over him.

'Red, we can both smell your sweat' she simpered.

'Stop calling me Red! It isn't my name!' he snapped, angry now. The spider only leaned in closer. They were almost touching now. The man could see himself reflected in her many eyes.

'Alright then… there is a question that needs answering, and I would think very carefully before answering… _Tom Thumb_' she smirked, or did the spider equivalent of a smirk.

The man, or Tom Thumb as was his name, stiffened slightly in his bindings, still completely trapped in the spider webbing.

'The question?' Tom asked nervously.

'Will you stay with me and be mine forever?' she whispered seductively. Tom just stared at her sadly, pityingly. Why couldn't she just move on with her life and get over him?

'No' he shook his head.

The Spider's legs all stiffened and her eyes darkened. She pulled back slightly, hissing and clicking her pincers.

'Then what happens now is your own doing. You chose this for yourself' she told him darkly, rearing back, her pincers wide open now. Tom's eyes widened drastically, horrified.

'No, please, please I'm begging you' he trembled. The spider merely lunged forwards; sticking her pincers so far into Tom's leg he was sure they punctured the bone.

'AARGH!' Tom let out a scream that sliced through the night. It was the noise an animal would make when mortally injured. Torrents of blood spurted out from the wound, and Tom gasped and shivered as he felt poison beginning to inhibit his bloodstream.

He screamed again as the woman-turned-spider withdrew her pincers, laughing insanely at the agony she'd put the man in.

He managed to break his arm free from the gooey thread, and he clutched his leg desperately, his vision blurring slightly as the poison began to spread outwards from the wound. The whole world appeared to swim before him.

His time was very limited now.

'So… what happens now Tom? Can't run away from me this time, can you?' the spider taunted, and Tom felt something inside him snap. This… _monster_… had just issued him a death sentence. She was trying to stop him ever reuniting with his true love, his family, his world…

_He'd show her would happen now!_

'_This_ is what happens now' he growled, and before the spider could even move, Tom swiped his wand and a huge gash split open across one of the spider's eyes. She screeched in agony, her legs flailing around wildly.

Tom didn't waste this opportunity.

Even if he was destined to die because of his wounds now, he could still pass on the fruits of his labour to his true love's daughter, and _she_ could get back to him instead. That was something.

Using a simple cutting charm, Tom managed to free himself from the webbing. Screaming from the effort, he forced himself to his feet, gingering putting his weigh on his ruined leg. His eyes were pained and his skin was turning green. He fought down the urge to vomit as more blood, a lot more blood, oozed from the wound.

As the spider managed to regain control over herself, Tom began hobbling away, screaming with each step he took. He was staggering now, barely moving in a straight line, the poison advancing with each second. Tears pooled in his eyes as poison pooled in his blood.

But he was _so_ close now… the gate was just a few steps away. He swayed and for a moment he feared he'd fall, but somehow he found the strength to keep going.

'NOOOO!' he heard the spider shriek, and Tom didn't hesitate.

He flung an eerie green spell over his shoulder at her, which sent her barrelling backwards, moments before Tom crossed through the gates of the castle.

He gasped as he felt himself break through the veil of magic again, and despite the coldness biting at him and the sweat burning at his forehead, not to mention the urge to vomit getting stronger, he grinned brightly as the spider shrieked in rage and fury. She knew he had won.

In a plume of scarlet smoke, Tom Thumb vanished into thin air, his mission _almost_ a success.

**...**

**And there's the first chapter : ) I think I'm getting much better at these first chapters now, and I hope you agree.**

**So, why Tom Thumb? Firstly, its a story that's always intrigued me. Something about tiny characters have always interested me, much like Thumbelina and the Borrowers do as well. Plus, I liked the idea of a tiny man having adventures and having fun, so when I came across Once Upon a Time, the connection didn't take too long.**

**Now, I actually have most of Tom's history plotted out, at least in my mind. That's unusual as my style usually doesn't involve that much planning. As I'm sure you can guess from the dialogue here, he is not just Tom Thumb, but he's also the Red Fairy, the one from Sleeping Beauty. I know in the films she's female, but hello, Jack (and the beanstalk) was a guy and in Once Upon a Time he was a girl, so I hope people will just go with it.**

**I've also got most of his history with Jefferson and Grace planned too, or at least their inpact on his life around the time the curse got cast. He'll have history with The Blue Fairy, along with Tinkerbell and a lot of other characters too. I'm trying to stay true to the story of Tom Thumb, hence the spider bite that supposedly killed him, although in my story that obviously won't happen.**

**I am a bit worried about Spencer Scarlet however. I'm worried that until I get to the main plot, which is a little vague even to me, his chapters will be a bit boring. I hope not, but if they are, let me know and I'll try to do better.**

**I'm thinking that in order to keep it simple, I'll do one chapter as Tom, one as Spencer, and then follow that pattern, so there'll be no mid-switching through the chapter. Hopefully it'll keep it clear for you guys.**

**Anyway, I think that's everything for now. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review as I do appreciate them all and find them very helpful : ) Until the next one, keep on reading : )**


	2. The Fireman

**Hello! Yes, I know it's been a while and most new stories get updated really quickly until they're established, but I've been really busy working out the Storybrooke plot, AND I've been working on some of Tom's chapters as well. **

**So, I don't have too much to say, other than please remember that Once Upon A Time is not mine, only any OCs and anything you don't recognise from the show : ) I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you to CurbItKirby for reviewing the last chapter : )**

**...**

****The Fireman****

**...**

With great trepidation, a man stared up at a building at the end of the block, one that loomed over the crowd that had gathered to watch. His expression was grim, his eyes hard. This man was clearly on a mission.

People were screaming, red and blue lights were flashing, sirens were blaring. It was a scene of chaos and high emotion. The man knew that if he didn't take control of the situation soon, things could get a lot worse, in a very small amount of time.

The building was on fire, completely engulfed by flames with great puffs of charcoal smoke billowing away from it, and since this kind of thing was so rare in the little town of Storybrooke, naturally everyone had come to have a look.

The Chief Fire Officer couldn't help but roll his eyes in irritation. Didn't they realise that their safety was more important than having a good nose about?

'Alright troops! Anyone not essential I want them gone within ten seconds, get it done!' he shouted over the hiss of the flames and the chatter of the spectators.

A few of his officers rushed over to the crowds, forming a line to prevent any citizens from getting closer to the blaze. A small number of the crowd started to disperse, and the man smiled slightly. Now he could turn his focus onto that fire, preferably before it burned down the entire block.

'Any information on who lives here?' he asked one of his officers, both walking over to the side of the building where the Storybrooke Fire Engine was parked.

'An elderly lady called Mrs Edith Slipper. Apparently she left the oven on whilst she nipped out to the shop. She's over there' the officer pointed out a tearful looking old woman staring up at her home in horror.

'Anyone else in the house?' the Chief asked briskly, more focused on the situation at hand rather than assigning blame to the woman for her foolishness.

'No, she lives on her own' the officer shook his head. The Chief smiled, glad that nobody was trapped inside and that he could focus on putting out the fire, rather than a rescue mission.

'Good… well, not good that she's all alone, but good that nobody's stuck in there' the Chief said.

He quickly jogged the rest of the way to the fire engine, and let out a loud whistle. Immediately most of his officers formed a line before him.

'Right, I want this fire dealt with as quickly but as safely as possible. I don't want any heroics. None of you have permission to be off on the sick, have you got that?' he asked sternly.

'Yes sir!' his officers chanted.

'Good. Right, you' he pointed at a skinny officer at the end of the line, 'I want you on this engine, awaiting my signal to turn the water on. Keep the pressure at medium level unless I say otherwise' he ordered, and the officer nodded and rushed off to get the tank ready.

'You' he pointed at another officer, a female one this time, 'I don't want anybody within ten feet of this building. Some of the bystanders have gone, but not all of them. I want you to oversee public safety until Sheriff Graham gets here'

'Where is the Sheriff Sir?' she asked curiously. The Chief looked annoyed by the question, but decided to answer it regardless.

'He's investigating the possibility of a missing child' he sighed. What were the chances of two bad situations happening at once when normally nothing interesting happened at all in Storybrooke?

'At this time of night?! Why'd the parent wait so long to report it?' another officer asked and the Chief rolled his eyes in annoyance.

'Hello, can we focus on the situation at hand here' the Chief snapped and his officers fell silent, 'Thank you. We're Firemen, not Coppers. Now you two' he pointed to two more officers, 'Go get ready to man the hoses. The rest of you, extinguishers!'

'Sir!' they all chorused again.

The Chief walked over to the front of the burning building, staring into the fire licking at the brickwork. Reds and oranges danced before him for a moment, but soon enough his officers were at their stations, ready to tackle the blaze.

'Sir, tank all set sir' one of his officers called. The Chief nodded, turning to the office stationed on the Fire Engine.

'Right, activate the hoses, and keep the pressure level!' he ordered loudly.

'Yes sir!' the officer called back.

And so the water came. It took less than twenty minutes for the combined forces of water and foam to put the fire out, but soon enough all that remained of the blaze were some embers and smouldering remains of Mrs Slipper's furniture.

The Chief jumped when he heard a voice calling his name, and turning, he smiled as his good friend and fellow emergency serviceman came walking down street towards him.

'Officer Scarlet, been making toast I see?' the Sheriff of Storybrooke chuckled.

'Ha. Ha. Arriving once everything's all over I see, no change there then. Typical copper' the Chief teased back. Sheriff Graham laughed, before the two men sobered, looking over at the ruined house.

'Any assistance required?' Graham asked. The Chief shook his head tiredly.

'Nah, my guys have got it under control now. Look, they're already setting up the cordon until we can be sure it's structurally safe' he said, pointing at some officers that were stringing about 'DO NOT CROSS' tape, 'Did you find that missing kid?'

'Henry? Yeah, yeah he came back' Graham nodded. The Chief looked at him in surprise.

'It was _the_ _Mayor's_ kid that went missing?' he let out a low whistle, 'Bet Regina was an absolute pleasure to be around'.

'Mate, you have no idea' Graham said smugly, and the Chief raised an eyebrow at him.

'Ooh, has our very own Sheriff been doing a little _liaising_ with Storybrooke's Mayor?' he asked cheekily, and Graham shrugged his shoulders with a smirk.

'Officer Scarlet, I'm really not at liberty to say' he winked, and the two men laughed again. Suddenly the radio at Graham's belt crackled to life.

_'Sheriff Graham, we've got reports of a car accident at the Town Line, possible drink-driving. Are you free to attend?'_

Graham let out a low sigh, clearly tired and not in the mood for some mouthy drunk. Officer Scarlet let out a dry chuckle.

'Two to one it's Leroy…' he started.

'_Again_' they said in unison. They both chuckled, before Graham heaved a great sigh.

'Ah, I guess that's enough skiving for me. Duty calls' the Sheriff picked up his radio, placing it close to his mouth, 'Received. I'm on my way'

'Need a hand? Everything's under control here' Officer Scarlet offered. Sheriff Graham smiled but shook his head.

'No thanks mate, I've got this. If you're free, go home and spend some time with that lovely wife and son of yours' Graham said and Officer Scarlet heaved a sigh.

Things in his personal life had been going… less than well recently. In fact, they were about as bad as they could get, and even though she hadn't said this herself, Officer Scarlet had a suspicion that his wife was thinking of leaving him, and taking their son with her. He prayed to god he was wrong though. It would absolutely _kill_ him.

'I guess I should…' Officer Scarlet sighed, sounding more tired than ever. Sheriff Graham winced slightly. He knew all about the problems in his friend's relationship after all.

'Things still rocky between you two?' he asked softly. Officer Scarlet shrugged.

'They've been better… Ah, but you don't wanna hear about my marital bliss now do you? You have a drunk to go attend to anyway' he laughed it off, but it was an uneasy laugh, that was for sure.

'Well, if you ever need an ear, you know where I am' Graham offered and Officer Scarlet smiled.

'Thanks' he smiled sadly at his friend.

'No I mean it. I hope you realise that, Spencer' Graham said sincerely. He gave Officer Scarlet's, _Spencer's_, shoulder a supportive squeeze, before he turned and headed off in the direction of the town line.

Spencer Scarlet let out another low sigh, before he turned back to the scene of his latest safety breach. With a resigned nod, he decided that he'd finish up here, and head home to face the music of marital despair.

Oh, the joys of being a married Fireman.

…

By the time that Spencer checked the Clock Tower on his way home from work, it was 8:15. He frowned slightly. He was _sure_ that he had started that job at 8:15… maybe the clock was just stuck… he pushed it out of mind as he continued, stopping at a small house just off the main street.

He eased open the front door to his house, kicking off his boots as he locked it behind him. He was just about to head into the kitchen, when the hall light snapped on, momentarily blinding him.

'And what time do you call this?!' a beautiful woman with bright blue eyes and golden blonde hair barked at him, looking outraged. She wore a long blue top that fell below the waist of her black jeans, and an ornate black hairclip kept her hair to one side in a long braid. She looked beautiful, but absolutely furious.

Spencer cowered under his wife's gaze. He knew she was furious with him. He'd been working a lot over the past few weeks, and he had promised he'd be home early tonight… before Mrs Slipper's house had caught on fire that was.

'I'm so sorry Abby… there was a fire just as I was about to leave the station' he said quietly, looking at the ground rather than at his wife's stormy face.

'Oh and I suppose a _fire's_ more important than our son? You _promised_ you'd be home early tonight Spencer! You promised Christopher that you'd build a Lego Fire Station with him! He went to bed in _tears_ because you weren't here' Abby shouted angrily at him.

Spencer felt a pang of guilt hit him, and his heart ached slightly.

Christopher was their five year old son, an adorable child whom Spencer loved very much, and even though things were rocky between him and Abby right now (Which admittedly he had dealt with by throwing himself into his work), he had never once wanted his son to suffer for that.

'I'll make it up to him, this weekend, I promise' Spencer tried hastily but Abby was hearing none of it. She scoffed in clear disbelief at his words.

'I'll believe _that_ when I see it' she snapped, and Spencer hung his head, ashamed of himself for breaking his word, 'You've got to make a choice and soon Spencer, because I'm not sure how much more I can take. Which is more important to you? Your family or your job?'

Spencer floundered over his words. He wanted to say 'Family', but the words just wouldn't come. Sighing tiredly, Abby just brushed past him and headed up the stairs, no doubt headed for bed.

Groaning at how that discussion had just gone, Spencer headed into the living room. He went over to the sofa and from behind it he pulled out a duvet and a pillow. He'd been sleeping on the sofa for weeks now, and just like Abby had stated, he too wasn't sure of how much more he could take.

He sighed, and quickly stripped down to his boxers. He lay back on the sofa, and pulled the duvet over him. As he drifted into an uneasy sleep, he couldn't help but wonder why this was happening to him, and where it had all gone wrong.

…

When he groggily woke up the next morning, Spencer yawned and stretched as he arose from his makeshift bed. He quickly got dressed and was out the door before his wife even woke up. He couldn't face another lashing like the one he'd got last night.

He wasn't bothered about breakfast. He'd pick something up at Granny's on the way to work. It only took him a matter of minutes to reach the little dinner, and sighing miserably, he slumped into a seat at the counter.

Ruby, a waitress and the granddaughter of the owner, came over to him, smiling brightly from behind the counter.

'Hi Spencer! What can I get you?' she asked in her usual bubbly tone.

'Hey Ruby… err, the Full English Breakfast and full-fat coffee with extra marshmallows' he said and Ruby arched an elegant eyebrow at him.

'Full English Breakfast? Full-Fat Coffee? That's not like you. You're usually all for salads and water. Is everything alright?' she asked in concern, which made Spencer smile. Ruby, even if she did wear very skimpy outfits and flirted way too much, was very sweet for caring.

'I'm fine Ruby' he smiled tiredly at her.

Shrugging, Ruby went off to fix his order. Spencer was about to pick up a paper someone had discarded on the counter, when the door chimed open and the mayor of Storybrooke, a stony looking woman named Regina Mills, came in, looking around frantically.

'Morning Madam Mayor. Everything alright today?' Spencer asked her, and she rounded on him. She looked extremely angry about something, which immediately made Spencer regret speaking to her.

'No Officer Scarlet, everything is NOT alright today. My son is missing' she snapped at him, looking both angry and worried.

'_Again_?!' Spencer gaped in disbelief. Regina looked very pissed off now and she was not afraid to let him know that.

'Yes, _again_! Now tell me, have you seen Henry or not?' the mayor demanded rudely.

'No, I'm afraid I haven't' Spencer shook his head.

'Then what did you talk to me in the first place for?!' Regina fumed, and before Spencer could say another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the diner.

'Well pardon me for breathing' Spencer scowled at the closed door, turning when he heard giggling behind him.

'My my, Spencer. You _do_ have a way with people don't you?' Ruby giggled as she placed a plate and mug before him. Spencer playful scowled at her.

'I have an excellent way with people, thank you very much. It's just Regina's got a… _special_ way with just about everyone in this town' he commented and Ruby shrugged, admitting he had a point.

'True… Oh! Did you hear the news about Regina?' she was suddenly grinning as Spencer swallowed a sip of his coffee.

'No, what news?' he arched an eyebrow.

'Well you know that her kid was adopted right?' she asked, continuing when Spencer nodded, 'Well apparently, he ran off last night to go track down his birth mother!' Ruby said dramatically. Spencer's mouth fell open.

'You're joking!' he gaped, before whistling, 'No wonder Regina looks like she's got a bug stuck up her ass!'

'AND, if I were a betting woman, I'd say that that's where the kid's gone now. Apparently the Birth Mother brought him back and then left again' Ruby stated and Spencer's eyes widened. Stuff like that NEVER happened in Storybrooke, so it was certainly news to him.

'Well that would make sense I guess, but maybe we shouldn't talk about it. If Regina found out we've been gossiping about her… well, we both know she won't take it well. How do you even know about this?' Spencer asked and Ruby smirked.

'I have my sources' she shrugged cheekily.

'Ruby! If you're done gabbing, the kitchen floor needs mopping' Granny suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway, and scowling darkly, Ruby turned and stormed off into the kitchen. The sounds of a heated argument could soon be heard.

Shaking his head in amusement, Spencer tucked into his breakfast. He had a sinking feeling he was going to need his strength today.

…

And it turned out Spencer's feeling was right. No sooner had he left Granny's Diner did he run into his first problem of the day.

'Officer Scarlet! Officer Scarlet! Please help!' a voice cried, and turning, Spencer smiled as a young girl came running over to him from down the street.

The girl's name was Paige, and she had long brown hair and bright brown eyes. She was a very pretty thing, and Spencer was a close friend of her family's, so he knew the girl quite well. But right now she was clearly very distressed, and Spencer was immediately alert and ready to help.

'What is it Paige? What's the matter?' he asked, kneeling down to her level.

'Officer Scarlet, my cat Mittens went up a tree and now she won't come down!' Paige said tearfully and Spencer smiled slightly, patting her on the head.

'Well don't worry, we'll get her down, which tree did she go up?' he asked gently.

'This one!' Paige gasped, turning and running back over to a tree by the edge of the road. Spencer followed her over and saw that there was indeed a small black cat lounging about in the branches.

'She looks fine to me Paige, but if you insist, I'll get her down' he said, and when the girl nodded, Spencer sprang into action.

He jumped with surprising force and with his outstretched arms, managed to hit the branch Mittens was sitting on. With a screech of surprise, Mittens leapt from the branch, landing directly in Paige's arms.

'Oh thank you Officer Scarlet!' Paige squealed in delight, hugging her cat tightly.

'You're welcome. Just try and keep her away from trees, alright?' he affectionately ruffled her hair. Paige beamed and nodded, before she said goodbye and skipped away.

Smiling, Spencer stood up straight, but the smile immediately melted away as he looked up and saw Abby Scarlet glowering at him. She looked absolutely livid, and Spencer had a sinking feeling things between them were about to get a hell of a lot worse.

'So now, not only do you let your own child down, but you're helping others instead of him?' she shook her head icily at him.

'Her cat was stuck in the tree, I was just…' he started before he was bluntly cut off.

'I don't care what you were just doing Spencer!' she shouted loudly, and Spencer fell silent. He was very aware of the fact that people were staring. 'You know what, that's it' Abby turned and stormed off.

'Whoa, honey, honey, what do you mean, _that's it_?' he asked frantically as he rushed after her.

'If rescuing a cat from a tree is more important to you than your own family Spencer, than I'm through' Abby said, tears beginning to stream down her face.

'Abigail, of course rescuing a cat from a tree isn't more important to me… look, maybe we just need some help. We could go to Doctor Hopper and ask for help!' Spencer tried to sooth her, but his wife was finally at her breaking point.

'There's no point Spencer… we both know it won't work' Abby sobbed and shook her head.

'What are you saying?' he asked fearfully, looking horrified as his worst nightmare came to life before his eyes.

'…I… I want a divorce…' she whispered, and Spencer felt as though something very large and very heavy had hit him in the face. A feather could have knocked him over in that moment. And for a split second, he couldn't even take in what she had said.

'No…' he breathed, utterly horrified.

He staggered back, gasping as his heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. No, this couldn't be happening! His family couldn't just… _fall apart_ like this…

But by the time that he was capable of speech again, Abby was already gone. A tear slid its way down Spencer's cheek.

And he just let it fall.

…

Spencer couldn't face going to work after receiving news like that.

He couldn't even pretend he was alright and work on autopilot. So instead he had called in sick, and by noon his feet had somehow taken him directly to his favourite watering hole, a little place called The Rabbit Hole.

But even many, _many_ dozens of pints of alcohol couldn't make him feel any better.

His wife was leaving him, _leaving_ him, and no doubt she'd be taking their son with her. And even if Spencer tried to fight her on that, he knew she'd win. The woman in these situations always won, and with his job, he couldn't be there enough to give his son the life he deserved.

Maybe it was for the best for Christopher anyway if Abby took him.

He downed another pint of alcohol. It didn't make him feel any better.

He had no idea how long he had been there, but he'd wager it had been a good couple of hours. He must have been there a while, because by the time someone made him jump by tapping him on the shoulder, he could barely make out their face through his bleary eyes.

'Spencer, mate, I think you've had enough' the concerned voice of Sheriff Graham got through to him.

'Gary… no. _Graham, _is that you?' he slurred.

'Yeah, it's me mate. Look, you can't stay here like this. The barman's asked me to get you to leave' Graham told him, but Spencer just blinked up at him.

'Did he? I don't really remember talking to him… he's a royal prick anyway' he laughed drunkly, waving his glass around, spilling the alcohol inside all over the place.

'Come on mate, you've had enough' Graham told him again.

'Oh leave it out… my wife's leaving me… I think I'm entitled to a drink after getting news like that' Spencer scowled as Graham easily plucked the drink from his shaking hand, and hauled him to his feet.

Spencer wobbled on the spot and nearly fell over, so Graham put one of his arms around his own shoulders, and helped to steer him out. The Bartender came over to them.

'Look, he doesn't need to be arrested Sheriff… I just think he needs to go sleep it off' the Bartender said, sounding genuinely concerned for Spencer's welfare.

'Oh you do, do you? And who the _hell_ are you?! Doctor Whale?!' Spencer snapped at him.

'Come on Spencer, there's no point taking it out on everybody else' Graham told him and Spencer rolled his eyes.

'No, because you think I should take it out on myself, don't you?' Spencer demanded. Graham managed to get him over to the door of the pub, and soon enough the two men were staggering off down the street.

'No mate, I don't think you should blame yourself, these things happen' Graham tried to calm him down. But Spencer was hardly listening to a word his friend was saying.

'Let me tell you something Graham… marriage is _hard_… and it's not like she's so perfect… you know, I did my best for her AND my son… maybe it's just not good enough' he trailed off miserably.

Graham sighed, and gently steered Spencer onto a public bench so he could get his breath back. As they both panted for air though, a figure happened to cross them, and the smirk on his face was enough to send Spencer's anger spinning again.

'Oh look who it is! Our very own… Mr God!' Spencer laughed at the top of his voice, no doubt waking quite a few people in the houses lining the street.

'Gold, Spencer. He's Mr _Gold_. He's not God' Graham rolled his eyes.

'Is he quite alright Sheriff?' Mr Gold asked, looking at Spencer in obvious amusement.

'He's been better' Graham told him. He groaned when Spencer spoke up again. His friend really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut.

'Been hassling people for the rent, have you?' he asked snarkily and Mr Gold smirked.

'As a matter of fact I have. I just met a lovely young woman at the Bed and Breakfast' he nodded and Spencer scowled. That was exactly the _last_ thing he needed to hear today. Anything about women would probably be a sensitive issue for him for the foreseeable.

'Oh aye… is that why you look so happy then?' he snapped.

'Oh yes… you see Officer Scarlet, I have a feeling that she's exactly what this town needs, and sooner rather than later, I think you'll see it too. You could say she'll be our saviour in fact. Good day gentlemen' and with that, Mr Gold walked off into the night. Spencer rolled his eyes after him.

'And I thought _I_ was drunk' was all he said.

And even though neither his friend's situation nor his attitude right now was anything to laugh about, Graham really couldn't help the chuckle that escaped through his lips.

Saviours? What a load of nonsense!

'Come on, I'm taking you to my home and you can kip on my sofa' he shook off the strange moment.

'Oh, thanks pal!' Spencer slurred again. Graham hauled him to his feet, and the two men set off down the street.

Neither of them noticed as they stumbled away, that the clock tower had ticked for the first time in forever… and its hands had moved to 8:16…

Time had started moving again.

**...**

**And there's the first chapter as Spencer Scarlet : ) **

**Okay, so there's a few things I'd like to cover. Firstly, why did I decide to go straight to a divorce rather than show the relationship breakdown?**

**It's mostly because showing Spencer and Abby drift apart is not important to the storylines I've got planned. I've finally got some of Spencer's figured out and I'd rather get straight too it, rather than spend ages building up to it. By the time I'd got it all to the point where things would get interesting, the curse would probably be broken so the storyline wouldn't make much sense then.**

**Secondly, Who is Spencer's wife, Abby?**

**I'll leave you guys to guess but I did try and put in some clues. No, it's not Elsa, but considering who Tom Thumb's boyfriend is, it should be fairly obvious as to which story she's from : )**

**Finally, why make Spencer straight and Tom gay?**

**This, in my mind, is the sort of thing Regina would do to really give Jefferson the finger. Originally, Spencer was also going to be gay and with another OC, to show to Jefferson how painful it is to see the person you love taken from you. And then I thought it would be even more cruel to A) change his sexuality so that Jefferson has not chance with him, and B) to give him a child that replaces Grace. It's all about causing Jefferson pain, at least that's the type of thing I see Regina doing.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and hopefully it wasn't boring, but I promise, we'll get to some more exciting stuff for Spencer soon : ) **

**Please leave a review as I love hearing what people think of my stories, and they motivate me to write faster for you guys. Hope to see you in the next chapter : )**


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